All clear after threat at school

Published: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 11:23 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 11:23 a.m.

Trouble at Evergreen Junior High in Houma continued on Thursday afternoon after a student called in a fake bomb threat, Terrebonne Parish sheriff’s deputies say.

School staff members received a call about 2:45 p.m. saying a bomb on campus would be detonated at 9 o’clock, police said. The caller did not say whether it was a.m. or p.m.

The threat was called in after students had left school for the day, Terrebonne public schools Superintendent Philip Martin said.

Some students were still on campus for extracurricular events and were immediately evacuated off school grounds.

Police and school staff exhaustively searched school grounds with bomb-sniffing dogs before giving the all clear.

Deputies traced the call back to a student at the parish’s alternative school for students with discipline problems, TAPPS.

The student, who is not being named because he is a minor, was arrested and charged with communicating of false information of a planned arson, police said.

Extra deputies were assigned to the school this morning. No incidents were reported.

The threat came on the same day that rumors on Facebook suggested a school shooting would take place. Those rumors, which had spread throughout the week, scared many parents despite repeated assurances from school officials that they had only started with a student’s dream.

The student who made the Facebook post that caused the rumors was expelled, arrested and charged with terrorizing. The student who told that girl about her dream was suspended.

The Sheriff’s Office assigned about 20 deputies to Evergreen Thursday morning. As each student entered campus, he or she was searched with hand-held electronic metal detectors while school staff members searched their bags and personal items. K-9 officers also searched the interior of the school for any illegal narcotics. No weapons or contraband were found, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The continued worries meant some parents were still hesitant to send their children to Evergreen on Friday. Martin said 173 students were absent from the school in the morning.

“That’s certainly an abnormally high number of absences,” Martin said.

About 200 students were absent from Evergreen on Thursday, more than twice the usual number. School officials had incorrectly told The Courier and Daily Comet that morning that only 65 students had been absent.

Martin said the mistake was caused by a miscommunication at the Central Office. Teachers submit computerized attendance records that are processed at the office; Martin said staff misread those records.

Martin emphasized that students can get in serious trouble for pranks for fake threats involving violence.

“It’s very unfortunate that these students chose to play pranks on these serious issues,” Martin said. “We at the school district and law enforcement take it very seriously. I think a lot of these kids don’t understand just how much trouble they can get in if they do something like this.”

Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.

<p>Trouble at Evergreen Junior High in Houma continued on Thursday afternoon after a student called in a fake bomb threat, Terrebonne Parish sheriff's deputies say. </p><p>School staff members received a call about 2:45 p.m. saying a bomb on campus would be detonated at 9 o'clock, police said. The caller did not say whether it was a.m. or p.m.</p><p>The threat was called in after students had left school for the day, Terrebonne public schools Superintendent Philip Martin said. </p><p>Some students were still on campus for extracurricular events and were immediately evacuated off school grounds.</p><p>Police and school staff exhaustively searched school grounds with bomb-sniffing dogs before giving the all clear. </p><p>Deputies traced the call back to a student at the parish's alternative school for students with discipline problems, TAPPS.</p><p>The student, who is not being named because he is a minor, was arrested and charged with communicating of false information of a planned arson, police said. </p><p>Extra deputies were assigned to the school this morning. No incidents were reported. </p><p>The threat came on the same day that rumors on Facebook suggested a school shooting would take place. Those rumors, which had spread throughout the week, scared many parents despite repeated assurances from school officials that they had only started with a student's dream.</p><p>The student who made the Facebook post that caused the rumors was expelled, arrested and charged with terrorizing. The student who told that girl about her dream was suspended.</p><p>The Sheriff's Office assigned about 20 deputies to Evergreen Thursday morning. As each student entered campus, he or she was searched with hand-held electronic metal detectors while school staff members searched their bags and personal items. K-9 officers also searched the interior of the school for any illegal narcotics. No weapons or contraband were found, the Sheriff's Office said. </p><p>The continued worries meant some parents were still hesitant to send their children to Evergreen on Friday. Martin said 173 students were absent from the school in the morning.</p><p>“That's certainly an abnormally high number of absences,” Martin said.</p><p>About 200 students were absent from Evergreen on Thursday, more than twice the usual number. School officials had incorrectly told The Courier and Daily Comet that morning that only 65 students had been absent. </p><p>Martin said the mistake was caused by a miscommunication at the Central Office. Teachers submit computerized attendance records that are processed at the office; Martin said staff misread those records. </p><p>Martin emphasized that students can get in serious trouble for pranks for fake threats involving violence.</p><p>“It's very unfortunate that these students chose to play pranks on these serious issues,” Martin said. “We at the school district and law enforcement take it very seriously. I think a lot of these kids don't understand just how much trouble they can get in if they do something like this.”</p><p>Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.</p>